Meine Seele erhebet den Herrn
BWV 324 performed by the Young Bach Fellows
from the Netherlands Bach Society
Walloon Church, Amsterdam
Behind the music
Story
Story
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
A singing soul
Bach’s simple setting of Luther’s German Magnificat
Martin Luther proposed a radical simplification of the relationship between God and his creation – his only contact person was Jesus, while the saints (m/f) were demoted to being venerable role models. Nevertheless, the Virgin Mary remained an important figure. Luther regarded her, the mother of God, as the queen of heaven and totally free of sin: a perfect illustration of God’s mercy. The Magnificat, Mary’s hymn of thanks when she hears of her pregnancy, can be seen as a summary of this promise from a generous God: he gives life, forgiveness and salvation.
In Bach’s Leipzig, Luther’s translation of ‘Meine Seele erhebet den Herrn’ was sung every week during vespers, on Saturday and Sunday, in a simple setting by Schein, while more complex versions were put on the music stands for high feast days. The chorale setting sung by the Young Bach Fellows begins like the closing chorale of the cantata Meine Seele erhebt den Herren, BWV 10, but from the second phrase switches to sections with no written rhythm for the text in between. The idea is that the singers recite the text, like in Gregorian psalms or English chants. This chorale has survived in a collection of chorales by Bach without text, compiled by Friedrich Birnstiel, from 1769. Birnstiel selected the chorales on the advice of Bach’s sons and pupils. His work is one of the most important sources for many generations of composers, for whom Bach’s chorales became models. This is because, as Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach wrote in his foreword to Birnstiel’s collection, even in the case of his father’s lesser compositions ‘people expect a masterpiece of him’.
- BWV
- 324
- Title
- Meine Seele erhebet den Herrn
- Genre
- chorales
- Year
- unknown
- Lyricist
- Latin hymn translated by Luther
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
Meine Seel erhebt den Herrn,
und mein Geist freuet sich Gottes,
meines Heilandes;
Denn er hat seine elende Magd
angesehen. Siehe, von nun an werden
mich selig preisen alle Kindeskind.
Er übet Gewalt mit seinem Arm
Und zerstreut, die hoffärtig sin in ihres Herzens Sinn.
Die Hungrigen füllet er mit Gütern
Und lässet die Reichen leer.
Lob und Preis sei Gott dem Vater und dem Sohn
Und dem Heiligen Geiste.
Wie es war im Anfang,
jetzt und immerdar,
Und von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit. Amen.
Translation
My soul doth magnify the Lord,
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God
my Saviour.
For He hath regarded the low estate
of His handmaiden: for behold, from
henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath
scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
Laud and praise to God,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Credits
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- Release date
- 14 April 2022
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- Recording date
- 11 May 2021
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- Location
- Walloon Church, Amsterdam
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- Soprano
- Bethany Shepherd
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- Alto
- Oscar Verhaar
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- Tenor
- Jasper Dijkstra
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- Bass
- Jaap van der Wel
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- Cello
- Carlos Leal
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- Traverso
- David Westcombe
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- Organ/harpsichord
- Masako Awaji
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- Director and editor
- Bas Wielenga
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- Music recording
- Guido Tichelman, Bastiaan Kuijt
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- Music edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman
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- Camera & lights
- Onno van Ameijde, Rieks Soepenberg
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- Assistant music recording
- Marloes Biermans
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- Producer concert
- Hilde Van Ruymbeke
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- Producer film
- Jessie Verbrugh
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